Funds to monitor the health of lake and beaches

THE health of Lake Macquarie and the region’s beaches will be carefully monitored and given a ‘report card’ following the announcement of state government funding.

Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper welcomed $180,000 of funding for a beach and lake monitoring program on Tuesday, following a successful application from Lake Macquarie City Council which will stump up money for the remaining half of the cost.

Mr Piper said the money would allow for the monitoring of the physical and ecological condition of “key components” in the area.

“That includes physical changes to beaches and dunes, the aquatic health of the lake, and the ecological health of foreshore inter-tidal zones,” he said.

“The aim of the lake monitoring program is to assess the waterway’s ecological health at 10 locations throughout the year and report the results to the community in a ‘report card’ format.”

The grant is part of the NSW government’s Coastal and Estuary Grants Program which supports councils in managing the risks from coastal hazards such as coastal erosion, restoring degraded coastal habitats, and improving the health of NSW estuaries and wetlands.

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ABOUT GREG

Greg Piper has been an independent voice for the people of Lake Macquarie for more than 20 years, as a Member of Parliament, Mayor and councillor. He was elected to Lake Macquarie council in 1991, served as Mayor from 2004 until 2012 and has been the State MP for Lake Macquarie since 2007.